The Sokoto State Government said it has uncovered no fewer than 12,915 `ghost workers,’ padded into the payrolls of the 23 local government areas of the state.

This was disclosed by the State’s Commissioner for Local Government and Community Development, Mannir Dan-Iya, during a media briefing in Sokoto on Thursday.

He said the discovery was made after the ministry had concluded a local government junior staff verification of about 58,143 workers, comprising of scheduled and unscheduled staff.

“The verification exercise yielded fruitful result, whereby about 12, 915 workers, comprising of seat-at-home and ghost workers were fished out of the local governments’ staff payrolls.”

Dan-Iya stated that the exercise was a huge success as it saved the state government over N319 million.

He added that plans are underway for a similar verification exercise of the ministry’s senior staff, whose salaries are paid through their respective banks.

He also said that issues that arose from the exercise, mostly associated with human errors, were being effectively addressed.